Junior “A” Islanders double their season win total after upsetting Victoria

Mark Booth/ Delta Optimist/JUNE 19, 2018 11:43 AMThe Delta Islanders head into Coquitlam Wednesday night with something they have had little of all season.

Momentum.

The Islanders will be riding a two-game win streak when they take on the perennial B.C. Junior “A” Lacrosse League powerhouse thanks to a weekend sweep of the Nanaimo Timbermen and Victoria Shamrocks. They leaned on the outstanding goaltending of Matt Hills who made 42 stops in a 9-6 win in Nanaimo and he was even better 24 hours later at the Ladner Leisure Centre with 59 saves in an 11-9 upset of the second place Shamrocks.

At 4-10-0, Delta won’t be in next month’s BCJALL playoffs but it’s crucial this franchise takes a step forward with plenty of young and promising talent that will be around for the next few years. Following an impressive season-opening win over Port Coquitlam, the Islanders dropped nine consecutive games and many were of the ugly variety.

It forced first-year co-head coach Andy Ogilvie to revamp his entire defensive system. The new structure, combined with Hills’ brilliance, has the Islanders climbing back towards respectability with seven regular season games remaining.

“It was just a matter of our start of the season game plan not fitting with this group of players,” said Ogilvie. “The defence that we were playing is what I used last year (as an assistant in the WLA). We altered it and those adjustments are paying off now. The kids have bought in and are working hard. It also helps getting that kind of goaltending.”

Hills has seen his workload increase after the club recently released Roman Rose. The Delta Lacrosse product continues to make impressive progress, having played much of his career at the “B” level, including a leading role in Delta winning bronze at the intermediate provincials three years ago. He played junior “B” last season and now has shown he is more than ready for the next level.

“All three goalies we had at the start of the season (including Brody Harris) have great stopping ability. So that’s when you are looking for that something a little extra in training camp or the start of the season,” said Isles first-year GM Matt Disher a former longtime pro goalie himself. “The type of defence we were playing tonight really suits his style.

“He gets out there on the ball but also shows good movement. He did a great job of cutting down the angles (on perimeter shots) and also made some great stops when they did work the ball to get some good looks. Those saves kept us in a game we should have been losing.”

The Shamrocks were playing catch-up all night after goals from Mark Yingling, Dawson Trimble, Riley Phillips and Jake Cantlon gave the hosts a 4-0 lead 12 minutes in.

Delta opened up a 9-4 advantage in the early stages of the third when the Shamrocks cranked their game to another level to produce three unanswered goals with still eight minutes remaining. That’s when Hills came up with some superb stops to halt the comeback, while goals from Ryan Jones and Brendan Szabo gave the hosts some much needed breathing room to complete the upset.

Jones, Phillips and Yingling each scored twice. Jake Cantlon and Jake McIntosh had the other goals. Phillips added seven assists to finish with nine points.

In Nanaimo, Trimble had a big night with six points, including a pair of goals. Jones added a hat trick.

After taking on the Adanacs Wednesday, Delta travels to Port Coquitlam on Friday and hosts Langley on Saturday at 7 p.m.

Boxla Bits…

The looming July 1st trading deadline heated up this past week with the last place Burnaby Lakers making deals with contenders New West and Port Coquitlam.

What the Islanders will do remains to be seen but it should be about adding on to a strong 2000-born age group with hopes of contending for the league championship by 2020.

What makes lacrosse trades so flexible and unpredictable is players with eligibility remaining often end up back with the non-contending team that dealt them. That was the case last season when the Islanders sent Jones back east to Six Nations.

“There is a lot of activity and interested parties around the league,” added Disher. “There is going to be some activity but we would just like to see how the players are playing and what we can do best for our team moving forward. We are only going to make a deal that is going to work best for our interest. We won’t do anything otherwise.”

]]>OLD & YOUNG MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN ISLANDERS SEASON-OPENING WINhttp://islanders.bcjall.com/news/old-young-make-a-difference-in-islanders-season-opWed, 9 May 2018 19:19:53 +0000f2b928e4-64b1-4932-b05d-bede179c94c4

Delta doubles Port Coquitlam 10-5 for biggest win in two years

It took all of one game for the Delta Islanders to surpass their 2017 accomplishments.

The Islanders opened the 2018 B.C. Junior “A” Lacrosse League season Saturday night with a 10-5 victory over the Port Coquitlam Saints at the Ladner Leisure Centre. Given what happened a year when the club finished with a 4-17-0 record and only managed to defeat Nanaimo (1-18-11) and Burnaby (3-15-3) twice, it was an encouraging start to say the least.

The Saints came into Ladner with a 1-0 record and finished third in the league last season at 13-8-0. Yet it was the Islanders that set the tone early by jumping out to a 3-1 lead then taking full control with three unanswered to close out the second period.

The game was the full-time junior “A” debut for a significant number of players — many that could still be playing intermediate under the old age format — as co-head coaches Kyle Goundrey and Andy Ogilvie lean on that young talent to change the team’s fortunes.

“Some our young guys are used to winning and some of these older guys are not,” smiled Goundrey. “Hopefully it can pay off (going) with these younger guys because it’s expected of them.

“They were missing some guys (still at school) tonight and so were we. But not was out home opener, first league game and it’s a win. It’s something that these guys need to get used to is nobody comes in here and walks on us.”

The Islanders relied on their experience and youth to get the job done.

Player Riley Phillips, the lone remaining member of the 2016 championship team, led the way offensively with six points, including four goals. Rookie standout Haiden Dickson added a hat trick. Singles came from Connor Evers, Ryan Jones and Sekawnee Baker.

Evers is among the young additions at the back end of the floor. The former Team B.C. captain is coming off his freshman season at University at Alabama Huntsville and was a key member of a Ridge Meadows team that finished second at intermediate “A” provincials last year. Homegrown products Max Stalling, Jared Moloci, Jake Cantlon, Mark Yingling and Dickson are other Team B.C. alumni who were in the Delta line-up on Saturday, while Jon Greig is another valuable defensive addition.

Among the few bright spots last season was goaltender Brody Harris. He picked up where he left off with a stellar outing, making 38 saves.

When the Saints did make a second period charge to make it a 5-4 game, Delta didn’t wilt and instead responded with pair of goals from Dickson and another from Phillips in the final four minutes of the frame. Responding to adversity was rare a year ago.

“Our offence needed to move the ball. They knew when they were just burying their heads it wasn’t working for them. When we started to move the ball again we got the opportunities. Hopefully they know that now as they better understand our systems,” added Goundrey.

It’s baptism by fire for new Delta Islanders general manager Matt Disher.

With the season opener on Saturday, the former National Lacrosse League standout goaltender is making sure all the administration duties are in order as he oversees two teams — the Junior “A” Islanders along with the new Junior “B” tier one squad.

“It’s dealing with all the paper work. It’s a learning curve especially with the five-year system now,” said Disher.

“For me, it’s in my head as I grew up in Ontario (where junior has always been a five-year program). But’s also understanding the GM role, getting players signed and making sure you don’t break any rules.”

After a stellar career in the NLL, along with the WLA Salmonbellies, the 41-year-old was looking to be involved in the game again.

He was a guest coach a couple of years ago for Kyle Goundrey when he was running Delta’s Intermediate “A” program. This time he has a much greater role after former GM Greg Rennie opted to be behind the bench this season and is now overseeing the Junior “B” tier one team in Richmond.

“I have known (Kyle and co-head coach Andy Ogilvie) for a while and they must think I’m a sucker,” laughed Disher. “They wanted someone who was a lacrosse guy who also could help out on the management side of things. I just didn’t expect to be jumping into (this big) of role right away.”

Disher’s biggest challenge now is making sure both teams have plenty of depth. He has learned quickly big numbers in pre-season training doesn’t mean those players are here for good. There is also the juggling act of more incoming talent and assigning players accordingly. The latest arrival was Richmond native Ryan Jensen who is looking to crack the Junior “A” roster after being released by Coquitlam.

“You find yourself always looking at numbers. The more talent the better it is for us,” added Disher. You don’t want to one day be short players because kids are busy these days. Junior ‘A’ is a big commitment but there are always those occasions and you have to be ready for them.”

Once all the paper work is in order, Disher added he will also help out on the coaching side as a goalie assistant. It’s a position he has watched closely throughout training camp.

“I will probably become more active once all the administrative stuff is done. I’m looking forward to that,” he chuckled.

Boxla bits…

It’s a significant test right out of the gate for the Junior “A” Islanders when they open their regular season on Saturday night at home against Port Coquitlam. The Saints finished third last season with a 13-8 record and opened their 2018 campaign Sunday with an 11-5 home floor win over Victoria.

Coming off a 4-17 season, Delta needs to show it can be competitive again with the next tier of teams in the league, never mind dealing with a perennial powerhouse like defending champion Coquitlam.

Andy Ogilvie joins Kyle Goundrey on bench as Delta looks for bounce back season

The Delta Islanders have a living legend onboard to help get them contending again in the B.C. Junior “A” Lacrosse League.

Coming off a difficult 4-17 campaign, Kyle Goundrey had seen enough to try and change the culture within a core of players, dating back to the two years he also ran the Islanders former intermediate “A” program. He turned to Canadian Lacrosse Hall-of-Famer Andy Ogilvie to not only join him behind the bench but also share the head coaching duties.

Ogivlie was known as a hard-nosed defender who enjoyed a decorated career in the National Lacrosse League and Western Lacrosse Association, winning three Mann Cups. His last one in 2001 earned him playoff MVP honours with the Coquitlam Adanacs.

The 53-year-old Peterborough native also won a pair of Minto Cup national junior “A” championships with his hometown Lakers before taking his career out west.

“Obviously he is a legend but also I have been with these guys for a few years and we just needed a change,” explained Goundrey. “Just in discipline and a change in attitude of everything. What we had done hadn’t been working. You can’t just keep doing the same thing and expect to win.”

Ogilvie and Goundrey worked together as part of the WLA Adanacs coaching staff back in 2009. Now they are re-united to work with some promising talent that includes a 2000-age group that produced a midget A1 provincial title in 2016.

Training camp is heading into the homestretch with the team’s final pre-season game on Saturday when the Langley Thunder visit the Ladner Leisure Centre at 7 p.m. A week later, the Port Coquitlam Saints are in town for the regular season opener.

Wednesday night was the first time the coaches had an opportunity to implement systems after the roster was pared down to a more workable number. More cuts are coming in the days ahead.

It was no surprise to see Ogilvie looking after the defensive end of the floor while Goundrey, a high-scoring talent during his decorated career, is in charge of the offence.

“I am enjoying the attitude for sure. These guys are coming here and working hard, they’re listening to what we we say and I am getting no attitude back,” said Ogilvie who had spent the past two seasons on the WLA Thunder’s coaching staff.

“Up to this point, we had been doing scrimmaging and this is the first night working on game strategy. There must have been 30 defenceman at one point. I relied on Kyle a lot for his opinion as I was seeing these guys for the first time. I have asked for a lot of help so far.”

Ogilvie’s arrival coincides with a major change in the junior age structure.

B.C. Lacrosse voted in the off-season to drop Intermediate (Grades 11-12) entirely, putting the province on par with the rest of the country. Junior is now a five-year division and the new Junior ‘B’ tier one league has essentially replaced Intermediate ‘A’ as the next highest tier.

The shift certainly led to a lot of bodies at training camp and coaches with an open mind when it comes to finalizing the roster.

Jake Cantlon, Haiden Dickson, Mark Yingling and Max Stalling are four key players from the 2000 group who will be full-time junior “A” players this season.

“You have to remember the junior ‘A” team is the same age as wherever they are going to end up going,” added Goundrey. That’s one thing we try to stress to their parents who don’t want their boy playing junior ‘A’ yet. The age group doesn’t change just the skill level.

“If they are junior ‘A’ calibre then here is where they are going to play.”

The Delta Islanders have made a change in their front office, naming Matt Disher as the club's new General Manager. Disher will take over from former General Manager Greg Rennie.

"Matt brings a wealth of knowledge with 14 years experience as a goalie in the NLL and is excited to work with our coaches, players and executive," the Delta Islanders tweeted out.

The Hagersville, Ontario native played over 1,000 minutes as a goaltender in the National Lacrosse League for six different clubs. He also had success tending the crease for the New Westminster Salmonbellies in the WLA, putting up an 11-1 record in 2007.

The Islanders open the Regular Season on Saturday, May 5 when they host the Port Coquitlam Saints. You can find a full schedule here: http://www.bcjall.com/stats#/23/schedule?season_id=1086

The Delta Islanders Junior Lacrosse Club is pleased to announce and welcome Andy Ogilvie as Co-Coach with Kyle Goundrey to our Jr A coaching staff.

Andy’s Junior career was in Peterborough, Ontario. Playing Junior, he recorded 30 goals, 103 points and 101 penalty minutes in 60 games and won two Minto Cups before heading west to play WLA. He won the Mann Cup three times (1989 and 1991 with the New Westminster Salmonbellies and in 2001 with the Coquitlam Adanacs, where he was also named playoff MVP). While in Senior he got 157 goals, 406 points and 764 penalty minutes and his playoff scoring adding another 103 goals and 233 assists.

Andy still holds the record for the most penalty minutes in Mann Cups! Andy has won the World Box Lacrosse Championships once, and a bronze at the 1994 World Field Lacrosse Championships. He also played pro for Buffalo, Vancouver and Calgary and ended his career at the age of 42.

In 2014 Andy Ogilvie was inducted into the Lacrosse Hall of Fame! Andy previously coached the Coquitlam Sr A Adanacs with Kyle and for the past two years was an assistant coach with the Langley Thunder Sr A.

These two coaches will bring with them a high level of experience and knowledge that will be an asset to a young Delta Islander Jr A team moving forward.

Delta Islanders Chase Fraser, in action here in last year’s B.C. Junior “A” Lacrosse League championship series, was selected third overall by Nanaimo in last week’s WLA Draft. Photograph By Gord Goble

A 2016 Minto Cup program would have provided a good hint how the 2017 Western Lacrosse Association Draft was going to unfold.

A big night for the Delta Islanders organization saw a whopping 17 players selected, including 15 from the reigning B.C. Junior "A" Lacrosse League champions.

Four players, who played all of their junior in Delta, were taken in the top 10 and three of them will be starting the next chapter of their careers on the Island. Chase Fraser and Jon Phillips were selected third and ninth overall respectively by the Nanaimo Timbermen.

Defender Reese Callies went fourth overall to the Langley Thunder, while Evan Messenger was taken seventh by the Victoria Shamrocks.

Messenger and Phillips were lifelong teammates coming through Delta Lacrosse. They had big final seasons in helping their hometown team win its first-ever league championship, finishing first and second respectively in playoff scoring. Messenger is currently with the National Lacrosse League's Vancouver Stealth and Phillps is in his junior season playing field at UMass Lowell.

Fraser and Callies were acquired in trades with the Langley Thunder back in 2013 and would go on to be prominent players in Delta. Fraser enjoyed an outstanding series in a semi-final triumph over New West last season - a result that clinched the Islanders a berth into the Minto Cup. He led all playoff scorers with 18 goals.

Meanwhile, a number of other top picks reflect deals the club pulled off at the league trading deadline to bolster its playoff chances.

Defender and Victoria native Nate Wade was selected second overall by the Shamrocks. Aiden Milburn went 13th to Langley, while transition players Adam Jay and Ryan Lewis went 16th and 18th overall to Nanaimo.

The Islander draft picks also included Spencer Bromley going 15th to the Coquitlam Adanacs. He had a career best 61 points last season and added 21 more in 12 playoffs games.

Face-off specialist Tyrell Hamer-Jackson went 24th to the Maple Ridge Burrards, while team captain Brad Hofmann was right behind him at 25 to the Burnaby Lakers.

Cody Nass, who spent a better part of four seasons with the Islanders and won the league scoring title back in 2013, was taken 34th overall by Victoria.

Burnaby used its 39th overall pick to select Ontario star Cam Milligan, should he decide to spend more summers in B.C. He was acquired by Delta at the deadline last July.

The Delta Islanders Lacrosse Club is proud to announce that Kyle Goundrey will be taking over the Head Coaching position of the Junior A Lacrosse Team. Kyle has spent the past three years as Co-Head Coach with the Delta Islanders Intermediate A Team. Kyle has previous coaching experience with the Coquitlam Adanacs and the Maple Ridge Burrards of the WLA. He was also chosen to coach the 2016 Canada West World Junior Team.

Kyle is no stranger to the BC Junior A League where he amassed 260 goals and 330 assists for 590 points playing for the Richmond Outlaws and the Surrey Stickmen. He also played for the Peterborough Lakers of the Ontario Lacrosse Association. Kyle went on to have an outstanding senior career playing for the Maple Ridge Burrards of the WLA and the Calgary Roughnecks, Edmonton Rush, Vancouver Ravens and the Baltimore Thunder of the NLL.

Kyle has brought on board Peter McFetridge, Logan Schuss and Randy Daly as his assistant coaching staff. All three have NLL & WLA experience, with both Peter McFetridge and Delta’s own Logan Schuss current members of the NLL Vancouver Stealth. These four coaches will bring with them a high level of experience and knowledge that will be an asset to a young Delta Islander team moving forward.

The Delta Islanders Lacrosse Club would like to thank Greg Rennie and his coaching staff for their contributions to the franchise over the last three seasons. Under Greg, the Delta Islanders won their first Provincial Jr. A Playoff Championship and had their first Minto Cup Appearance. Greg will be staying on with the Delta Islanders as General Manager along with former Co-Head Coach of the Delta Islanders Intermediate A Team, Ross Frehlick, who has been named Assistant General Manager for the Delta Islanders Lacrosse Club.

A trio of players who helped the Delta Islanders to their historic season were selected in Monday’s National Lacrosse League Draft.

Kevin Orleman was the first goaltender picked in the proceedings — taken 18th overall by the Buffalo Bandits. The Islanders acquired the Ontario native back in July from the Kitchener-Waterloo Braves. He was outstanding in leading the franchise to its first-ever Minto Cup berth and the B.C. Junior “A” Lacrosse League championship. The University of Guelph student posted a 7.85 goals against average and a .846 save percentage in backstopping Delta to series wins over New West and seven-time defending champion Coquitlam.

Meanwhile, another Islander trade deadline acquisition was selected by the hometown Vancouver Stealth. Defender Adam Jay was taken 32nd overall and also had a superb playoff for Delta after spending the bulk of his junior career with the Victoria Shamrocks. Jay proved to be a scoring threat in transition as well, producing a pair of goals and an assist in the Islanders’ thrilling 11-10 overtime victory in the deciding game of the BCALL championship series.

Also selected Monday was third-year Islander Spencer Bromley — going in the fifth round (48th overall) to the defending NLL champion Saskatchewan Rush. Bromley enjoyed a standout three-year career in Delta after joining the club from the Richmond Intermediate “A” Roadrunners where he also played under Islanders coach Greg Rennie. He posted a career best 23 goals and 61 points during the regular season and was one of Delta’s best players in the Minto Cup with four goals in three games.

Graduating junior players who still have NCAA or NJCAA eligibility remaining with their respective college or university teams are not eligible for the NLL Draft.

A trio of players who helped the Delta Islanders to their historic season were selected in Monday’s National Lacrosse League Draft.

Kevin Orleman was the first goaltender picked in the proceedings — taken 18th overall by the Buffalo Bandits. The Islanders acquired the Ontario native back in July from the Kitchener-Waterloo Braves. He was outstanding in leading the franchise to its first-ever Minto Cup berth and the B.C. Junior “A” Lacrosse League championship. The University of Guelph student posted a 7.85 goals against average and a .846 save percentage in backstopping Delta to series wins over New West and seven-time defending champion Coquitlam.

Meanwhile, another Islander trade deadline acquisition was selected by the hometown Vancouver Stealth. Defender Adam Jay was taken 32nd overall and also had a superb playoff for Delta after spending the bulk of his junior career with the Victoria Shamrocks. Jay proved to be a scoring threat in transition as well, producing a pair of goals and an assist in the Islanders' thrilling 11-10 overtime victory in the deciding game of the BCALL championship series.

Also selected Monday was third-year Islander Spencer Bromley — going in the fifth round (48th overall) to the defending NLL champion Saskatchewan Rush. Bromley enjoyed a standout three-year career in Delta after joining the club from the Richmond Intermediate “A” Roadrunners where he also played under Islanders coach Greg Rennie. He posted a career best 23 goals and 61 points during the regular season and was one of Delta’s best players in the Minto Cup with four goals in three games.

Graduating junior players who still have NCAA or NJCAA eligibility remaining with their respective college or university teams are not eligible for the NLL Draft.

Richmond Lacrosse products help Delta get to Minto Cup and win first junior “A” title

A pair of Richmond lacrosse standouts have leading roles in taking the Delta Islanders to where they have never gone before.

The Islanders will be making their first-ever appearance at the Minto Cup national junior “A” championships which start this weekend at the Langley Events Centre. The four-team event features round-robin play through Monday and the top three moving onto the playoffs, including a best-of-five final series starting next Thursday.

Delta locked up one of two Minto Cup berths up for grabs in the host province by winning a B.C. Junior “A” Lacrosse League semi-final series against the New West Salmonbellies. The Islanders then took it one step further by upsetting seven-time defending champion Coquitlam Adanacs in the finals for their first BCJALL title in the franchise’s 15-year history.

A thrilling best-of-three series, featured two overtime battles, including a double overtime tilt in the deciding game. It was an all-Richmond connection that ended the drama as captain Brad Hofmann set-up Nick Jensen for his second of the night, just 39-seconds into the sudden-death period.

Hofmann and Jensen are key defenders for the Islanders but their offensive production played a big part in the series outcome.Jensen posted 13 points in 21 regular season games and nearly matched that output in nine playoff games with 10 points, including five goals. The overtime winner was his second of the night in the series decider. He said his offensive production reflects a number of changes the team made at the league trading deadline, including the addition of Victoria defender Adam Jay who also had two goals in game three. The Adanacs had entered the finals with a perfect 25-0-0 record. “I think it has a lot to do with the new additions, Adam especially. I don’t know what it is but we seem to work really well together,” explained Jensen. “I think we both push ourselves to get up the floor. We were getting killed by Coquitlam earlier in transition and thought we had the opportunity to give it back to them.” Delta’s defenders have also been pushing forward a lot more since the club landed standout goaltender Kevin Orleman from the Ontario Junior “A” Lacrosse League. During the overtime intermission, Delta coach Greg Rennie had encouraged his defensemen to jump into the play. Jensen would go on to score the biggest goal of his life. “I was matched up against (Adanacs star Tyler) Pace and Jay took him down so I just took off (on a 3-on-2 break),” recalled Jensen. “Their guy didn’t push (Hofmann) until late. I was off to the side a bit but was lucky to hit the bottom corner.” Jensen began his junior “A” career in Burnaby last year thanks to the league’s midget draft. He came to Delta in a pre-season trade and was re-united with Rennie who coached him with the Intermediate “A” Roadrunners.

Other former Roadrunners with Delta include Spencer Bromley, Jayden Campbell, Brett Anderson, Connor Davidson and goalie Ryland Hood. “Nick is a big game player and he proved that in intermediate and when he played for me on the Canada West team last year (at the Junior Worlds),” said Rennie. “Hofmann was absolutely huge for us the entire series against Coquitlam and showed why he is our captain.” Hofmann has been in Delta for the past three seasons and says the club has been building momentum towards its breakthrough run. “Coquitlam has been really good in the past and this year we felt like we had what it takes to beat them,” he said. “We have all been working really hard for this, starting three years ago. It’s paid off now and we still have some work to do.”

The Islanders will open Minto Cup round-robin play against Alberta champions Calgary Mountaineers and Ontario champions Orangeville Northmen on Saturday and Sunday respectively. It’s then a rematch with the Adanacs on Monday. All games start at 8 p.m. at the Langley Events Centre.

Richmond Lacrosse products help Delta get to Minto Cup and win first junior "A" title

A pair of Richmond lacrosse standouts have leading roles in taking the Delta Islanders to where they have never gone before.

The Islanders will be making their first-ever appearance at the Minto Cup national junior “A” championships which start this weekend at the Langley Events Centre. The four-team event features round-robin play through Monday and the top three moving onto the playoffs, including a best-of-five final series starting next Thursday.

Delta locked up one of two Minto Cup berths up for grabs in the host province by winning a B.C. Junior “A” Lacrosse League semi-final series against the New West Salmonbellies. The Islanders then took it one step further by upsetting seven-time defending champion Coquitlam Adanacs in the finals for their first BCJALL title in the franchise’s 15-year history.

A thrilling best-of-three series, featured two overtime battles, including a double overtime tilt in the deciding game. It was an all-Richmond connection that ended the drama as captain Brad Hofmann set-up Nick Jensen for his second of the night, just 39-seconds into the sudden-death period.

Hofmann and Jensen are key defenders for the Islanders but their offensive production played a big part in the series outcome. Jensen posted 13 points in 21 regular season games and nearly matched that output in nine playoff games with 10 points, including five goals. The overtime winner was his second of the night in the series decider. He said his offensive production reflects a number of changes the team made at the league trading deadline, including the addition of Victoria defender Adam Jay who also had two goals in game three. The Adanacs had entered the finals with a perfect 25-0-0 record. “I think it has a lot to do with the new additions, Adam especially. I don’t know what it is but we seem to work really well together,” explained Jensen. “I think we both push ourselves to get up the floor. We were getting killed by Coquitlam earlier in transition and thought we had the opportunity to give it back to them.” Delta’s defenders have also been pushing forward a lot more since the club landed standout goaltender Kevin Orleman from the Ontario Junior “A” Lacrosse League. During the overtime intermission, Delta coach Greg Rennie had encouraged his defensemen to jump into the play. Jensen would go on to score the biggest goal of his life. “I was matched up against (Adanacs star Tyler) Pace and Jay took him down so I just took off (on a 3-on-2 break),” recalled Jensen. “Their guy didn’t push (Hofmann) until late. I was off to the side a bit but was lucky to hit the bottom corner.” Jensen began his junior “A” career in Burnaby last year thanks to the league’s midget draft. He came to Delta in a pre-season trade and was re-united with Rennie who coached him with the Intermediate “A” Roadrunners.

Other former Roadrunners with Delta include Spencer Bromley, Jayden Campbell, Brett Anderson, Connor Davidson and goalie Ryland Hood. “Nick is a big game player and he proved that in intermediate and when he played for me on the Canada West team last year (at the Junior Worlds),” said Rennie. “Hofmann was absolutely huge for us the entire series against Coquitlam and showed why he is our captain.” Hofmann has been in Delta for the past three seasons and says the club has been building momentum towards its breakthrough run. “Coquitlam has been really good in the past and this year we felt like we had what it takes to beat them,” he said. “We have all been working really hard for this, starting three years ago. It’s paid off now and we still have some work to do.”

The Islanders will open Minto Cup round-robin play against Alberta champions Calgary Mountaineers and Ontario champions Orangeville Northmen on Saturday and Sunday respectively. It’s then a rematch with the Adanacs on Monday. All games start at 8 p.m. at the Langley Events Centre.

For the first time in the club’s history, the Delta Islanders are the British Columbia Junior A Lacrosse League champions and will compete for the coveted Minto Cup in the 73rd Canadian Junior A lacrosse Championship.

“To our community and to the program it’s massive,” said Islanders head coach Greg Rennie. “It’s the first time in 15 years the Islanders have made it this far and only the third time we’ve been in the B.C. finals in back-to-back years.”

The Islanders finished the regular season ranked second in the league with a record of 15-6-0, two points ahead of the New Westminster Salmonbellies and 12 points behind the undefeated Coquitlam Adanacs.

“I can’t even explain how hard these guys work. These guys work their butts off every night for us. You can see how bad they want it,” Hofmann said. “I think that’s been more than just this season in the making. We’ve been a young team the other two years so I think the hard work in those seasons has payed off this season [with] us growing as a team and us growing as a family.”

The team’s chemistry was on display as they faced the Adanacs in a three-game playoff to determine which team would be crowned B.C. champion.

“These new additions at the end of the sea- son have really helped,” said Dave Bromley, whose son Spencer had one goal and three assists for the Islanders in game two of the series. “ Kevin Orleman, Cam Milligan and Aidan Milburn are all excellent additions, have done really well. Even the call-up, the intermediate kid [Liam MacDonald]…everybody’s contributed very well, and it’s been a real good team effort so far.”

On Tuesday night, both teams fought tooth and nail in a marathon game that went into double overtime and, in the end, the Islanders emerged victorious, beating the Adanacs 11-10 to win the club’s first-ever BCJALL championship.

Both the Islanders and the Adanacs will compete in the Minto since, as host province, B.C. will have two teams in the tournament. However, going into the tournament as B.C. champs means Delta will get a more favourable matchup to start.

“Coquitlam deserves to be there whether they’re the B.C. champ or the host,” Rennie said. “I mean, they’ve been B.C. champs seven years in a row.”

For Hofmann, the team’s performance in the series shows they mean business and aren’t content just to make it to the Minto.

“I think it’s pretty obvious that this means everything to us,” Hofmann said. “I mean, we’re not just going to take part, we’re there to take over.”

This year’s Minto Cup will be held Aug. 20 to 29 at the Langley Events Centre. The tournament kicks off on Aug. 20 with the Adanacs taking on Ontario’s Orangeville Northmen at 5:00 p.m. at the Langley Events Centre, followed by the Islanders versus the Calgary Mountaineers at 8:00 p.m.

For the first time in the club’s history, the Delta Islanders are the British Columbia Junior A Lacrosse League champions and will compete for the coveted Minto Cup in the 73rd Canadian Junior A lacrosse Championship.

“To our community and to the program it’s massive,” said Islanders head coach Greg Rennie. “It’s the first time in 15 years the Islanders have made it this far and only the third time we’ve been in the B.C. finals in back-to-back years.”

The Islanders finished the regular season ranked second in the league with a record of 15-6-0, two points ahead of the New Westminster Salmonbellies and 12 points behind the undefeated Coquitlam Adanacs.

“I can’t even explain how hard these guys work. These guys work their butts off every night for us. You can see how bad they want it,” Hofmann said. “I think that’s been more than just this season in the making. We’ve been a young team the other two years so I think the hard work in those seasons has payed off this season [with] us growing as a team and us growing as a family.”

The team’s chemistry was on display as they faced the Adanacs in a three-game playoff to determine which team would be crowned B.C. champion.

“These new additions at the end of the sea- son have really helped,” said Dave Bromley, whose son Spencer had one goal and three assists for the Islanders in game two of the series. “ Kevin Orleman, Cam Milligan and Aidan Milburn are all excellent additions, have done really well. Even the call-up, the intermediate kid [ Liam MacDonald]...everybody’s contributed very well, and it’s been a real good team effort so far.”

On Tuesday night, both teams fought tooth and nail in a marathon game that went into double overtime and, in the end, the Islanders emerged victorious, beating the Adanacs 11-10 to win the club’s first-ever BCJALL championship.

Both the Islanders and the Adanacs will compete in the Minto since, as host province, B.C. will have two teams in the tournament. However, going into the tournament as B.C. champs means Delta will get a more favourable matchup to start.

“Coquitlam deserves to be there whether they’re the B.C. champ or the host,” Rennie said. “I mean, they’ve been B.C. champs seven years in a row.”

For Hofmann, the team’s performance in the series shows they mean business and aren’t content just to make it to the Minto.

“I think it’s pretty obvious that this means everything to us,” Hofmann said. “I mean, we’re not just going to take part, we’re there to take over.”

This year’s Minto Cup will be held Aug. 20 to 29 at the Langley Events Centre. The tournament kicks off on Aug. 20 with the Adanacs taking on Ontario’s Orangeville Northmen at 5:00 p.m. at the Langley Events Centre, followed by the Islanders versus the Calgary Mountaineers at 8:00 p.m.

After huge win for franchise, attention now turns to preparing for Minto Cup.

Jon Phillips and Evan Messenger have proven you can chase down your dream. The lifelong friends, who grew up in Delta Lacrosse together, have helped their hometown team make history. Teammates since their days in mini-tyke with Delta Lacrosse, Jon Phillips and Evan Messenger finished first and second in playoff scoring respectively for the provincial champion Delta Islanders.

The Delta Islanders captured their first-ever B.C. Junior “A” Lacrosse League championship with a thrilling 11-10 double overtime win over the seven-time defending champion Coquitlam Adanacs on Tuesday night. Phillips and Messenger were aged up four years ago to get an early jump on their junior careers. The momentum has slowly been building with tons of hard work along the way.“This is a five-year plan coming together. This isn’t an accident,” beamed Messenger. “We have been practising our tails off to get here. Running stairs, around (Delta) hospital, around the town. “We had all the pieces,” added Phillips who led the playoffs in scoring and earned MVP honours. “Everything has worked out this year and it’s just a dream come true to get where we are.”

Lacrosse fans might feel a little short changed the league finals were just a best-of-three affair since both teams are already headed to next week’s Minto Cup in Langley. Games two and three were as good as junior “A” lacrosse gets — both with plenty of momentum shifts and needing overtime to determine the outcome. Delta forced overtime in game two with a goal in the dying seconds and were 1:46 away from sweeping the series when the Adanacs struck twice to pull out an 11-10 win at Sungod Arena on Sunday.

An estimated 1,500 fans were treated to another barn-burner 48 hours later at the Coquitlam Sports Centre. The Adanacs’ dynasty looked poised to continue when John Hofseth gave the hosts a 9-7 lead with 5:11 remaining. However, Aidan Milburn cut the lead to one just 23 seconds later. Phillips then notched his hat trick goal with 63 seconds left on a terrific long range bounce shot. After nearly seven minutes of scoreless play in overtime, Hofseth put Coquitlam back out in front. Again, Delta answered — this time Chase Fraser with 1:07 remaining. The teams then headed to sudden death overtime and Nick Jensen capped a 3-on-2 break with his second of the game, just 39 seconds in.

Delta’s transition game played a huge part in the win with a pair of goals coming from defenders Adam Jay and Jensen. Jay also showed great patience to set up Fraser’s tying goal. “These guys have heart and determination,” said Islanders head coach Greg Rennie. “Everyone counted us out. No one wanted to believe in us at the beginning of the year and said we were pretenders. Coquitlam is amazing and you can’t take anything away from that team. They are going to be dangerous and they are going to want to get us in the Minto Cup.”Rennie did some of his best work as assistant general manager at the league trading deadline — acquiring Nate Wade, Ryan Lewis and Jay to shore up the back end. He also went east for the very first time to grab a pair of Ontario standouts — goaltender Kevin Orleman and high-scoring righty Cam Milligan. It also took the support of some veterans, who were now no longer in the line-up, not to disrupt team chemistry. Orleman and Milligan not only brought talent, but a fearless attitude when it came time to facing the powerhouse Adanacs.“They are an incredible organization but I think folks out here maybe respect them a little too much. They put their gear on one piece at a time just like us,” said Orleman who made 52 saves in game three. “It feels incredible to get the win but Cam and I didn’t come all the way out here to win a B.C. championship. Minto Cup is the ultimate goal.” “This is exactly the way we wanted it to work out,” added Milligan. We didn’t want to go through the backdoor (to Minto Cup). We wanted to go as B.C. champs.”

The Islanders will face Alberta champions Calgary Mountaineers on Aug. 20 (8 p.m.) to open up Minto Cup round-robin play.

After huge win for franchise, attention now turns to preparing for Minto Cup.

Jon Phillips and Evan Messenger have proven you can chase down your dream. The lifelong friends, who grew up in Delta Lacrosse together, have helped their hometown team make history. Teammates since their days in mini-tyke with Delta Lacrosse, Jon Phillips and Evan Messenger finished first and second in playoff scoring respectively for the provincial champion Delta Islanders.

The Delta Islanders captured their first-ever B.C. Junior “A” Lacrosse League championship with a thrilling 11-10 double overtime win over the seven-time defending champion Coquitlam Adanacs on Tuesday night. Phillips and Messenger were aged up four years ago to get an early jump on their junior careers. The momentum has slowly been building with tons of hard work along the way. “This is a five-year plan coming together. This isn’t an accident,” beamed Messenger. “We have been practising our tails off to get here. Running stairs, around (Delta) hospital, around the town. “We had all the pieces,” added Phillips who led the playoffs in scoring and earned MVP honours. “Everything has worked out this year and it’s just a dream come true to get where we are.”

Lacrosse fans might feel a little short changed the league finals were just a best-of-three affair since both teams are already headed to next week’s Minto Cup in Langley. Games two and three were as good as junior “A” lacrosse gets — both with plenty of momentum shifts and needing overtime to determine the outcome. Delta forced overtime in game two with a goal in the dying seconds and were 1:46 away from sweeping the series when the Adanacs struck twice to pull out an 11-10 win at Sungod Arena on Sunday.

An estimated 1,500 fans were treated to another barn-burner 48 hours later at the Coquitlam Sports Centre. The Adanacs’ dynasty looked poised to continue when John Hofseth gave the hosts a 9-7 lead with 5:11 remaining. However, Aidan Milburn cut the lead to one just 23 seconds later. Phillips then notched his hat trick goal with 63 seconds left on a terrific long range bounce shot. After nearly seven minutes of scoreless play in overtime, Hofseth put Coquitlam back out in front. Again, Delta answered — this time Chase Fraser with 1:07 remaining. The teams then headed to sudden death overtime and Nick Jensen capped a 3-on-2 break with his second of the game, just 39 seconds in.

Delta’s transition game played a huge part in the win with a pair of goals coming from defenders Adam Jay and Jensen. Jay also showed great patience to set up Fraser’s tying goal. “These guys have heart and determination,” said Islanders head coach Greg Rennie. “Everyone counted us out. No one wanted to believe in us at the beginning of the year and said we were pretenders. Coquitlam is amazing and you can’t take anything away from that team. They are going to be dangerous and they are going to want to get us in the Minto Cup.” Rennie did some of his best work as assistant general manager at the league trading deadline — acquiring Nate Wade, Ryan Lewis and Jay to shore up the back end. He also went east for the very first time to grab a pair of Ontario standouts — goaltender Kevin Orleman and high-scoring righty Cam Milligan. It also took the support of some veterans, who were now no longer in the line-up, not to disrupt team chemistry. Orleman and Milligan not only brought talent, but a fearless attitude when it came time to facing the powerhouse Adanacs. “They are an incredible organization but I think folks out here maybe respect them a little too much. They put their gear on one piece at a time just like us,” said Orleman who made 52 saves in game three. “It feels incredible to get the win but Cam and I didn’t come all the way out here to win a B.C. championship. Minto Cup is the ultimate goal.” “This is exactly the way we wanted it to work out,” added Milligan. We didn’t want to go through the backdoor (to Minto Cup). We wanted to go as B.C. champs.”

The Islanders will face Alberta champions Calgary Mountaineers on Aug. 20 (8 p.m.) to open up Minto Cup round-robin play.

Islanders capture their first BCJALL title in thrilling fashion Tuesday night.

The Delta Islanders will be heading to the 2016 Minto Cup with a huge wave of momentum. They are B.C. Junior “A” Lacrosse League champions for the first time in their 15-year history after a thrilling 11-10 double overtime win over the Coquitlam Adanacs on Tuesday night. The Adanacs entered the best-of-three final as heavy favourites, having won seven consecutive league titles and rolling to a perfect 25-0-0 record. The Islanders served notice with a 9-6 game one victory, then dropped a 11-10 overtime heartbreaker at Sungod Arena. They returned the favour 48 hours later in front of about 1,500 fans at the Coquitlam Sports Centre with a resilient performance. Playoff MVP Jon Phillips scored with 1:03 remaining to send the game to overtime and Chase Fraser extended it to sudden-death with 1:07 left in the 10-minute extra period. Nick Jensen finally ended the drama when he finished off an odd man transition play at the 31 second mark. The Islanders had reached the league finals on two previous occasions, including being swept in last year’s series. Now, they have taken lacrosse where it has never gone before in this community and it’s far from over. The Minto Cup starts Aug. 20 at the Langley Events Centre. Delta will be up against champions from the Ontario and Alberta leagues, along with the Adanacs. It was one special night for team president Darcy Phillips, who also holds down the same position with Delta’s minor box and field programs. The Ladner resident is one of many who has put years of volunteer time into the franchise and the sport to get to this point. He also watched his son deliver one huge performance. “I’m speechless right now. It’s great to see it all come together. Islander pride,” he smiled. “It shows what a lot of hard work and time in the box can do.” Assistant manager and head coach Greg Rennie grew up playing the game here and wanted nothing more than to show Delta can compete and beat the league heavyweights. “I have only wanted to win in Ladner. I have never put on a jersey other than Ladner,” he said. “I have had chances to go to other places in junior. I never wanted to leave here and I wanted to do this in this town. It’s more important to me than anything. “When you have done it once you can do it again. There will be a second time and there will be a third time. This is just a stepping stone (for this franchise).”

It all came to an end tonight at the Coquitlam Sports Centre where the Delta Islanders and Coquitlam Adanacs faced off in the final game to decide who will be this year’s BCJALL champion.

The Adanacs got on the board first with a goal from TylerPace 7 minutes into the first period.

Islanders’ JonPhillips tied the game up with 6:37 left in the first period followed by an AdamJay goal to give the Islanders their first lead of the game.

With 2:53 left on the clock, the Adanacs took advantage of a delayed penalty call, so with the extra man, NicholasMcnabb evened the game up at 2 before the period ended.

The Islanders started the second period off with a bang. Goals from Aidan Milburn, Nick Jensen and RileyPhillips before the halfway mark made it 5-2 Islanders. Impressive enough, the Islanders were hitting on all cylinders as Milburn’s goal was shorthanded, Jensen’s was on the powerplay and Phillips was even strength.

Of course you can’t count out the Adanacs. After all, there’s still a period and a half to go. JohnHofseth started the comeback with 8:58 to go in the second period, followed by two goals from Pace with 3:11 left.

The Adanacs scored a late goal, giving them a 6-5 lead heading into the third period.

Early in the third period, either team couldn’t get any momentum going after scoring a goal. The Adanacs strike first, but the seesaw battle continued until there was 4:48 left on the clock. The Islanders, down by one, applied the pressure in the final minutes and were able to tie the game up with a JonPhillips goal with 1:03 left on the clock as Game 3 was heading to overtime.

Heading into overtime, both teams were looking a little more retreated, but more so the Adanacs than the Islanders. However, it was the Adanacs who took the lead in overtime with a Hofseth goal, but there was just no giving up by the Islanders tonight, as ChaseFraser scored with 1:07 remaining in overtime as this game was heading into double overtime.

In double overtime, everyone in the Coquitlam Sports Centre witnessed history. NickJensen scores early in the second overtime and that was all she wrote. The Delta Islanders are your 2016 BCJALL Champions, ending the Adanacs streak at 7 straight championships. The Islanders also win their first ever BCJALL championship. Extremely well deserved.

THREE STARS OF THE GAME

1. Delta – JonPhillips – 3 goals

2. Delta – NickJensen – 2 goals

3. Coquitlam - TylerPace - 4 goals

That wraps up the 2016 BCJALL season, but it doesn’t mean lacrosse season is over. The Minto Cup begins August 20th at the Langley Events Centre where the BC, Ontario and Alberta champions and the BC host faceoff for the Minto Cup.

Go ahead and rub those eyes. It’s not easy to believe what we’re seeing in the world of Junior A lacrosse.

The Orangeville Northmen not only polished off the Six Nations Arrows with last night’s 9-7 win, the Hornheads did it with a sweep of the Arrows to win the Ontario championship. And out West, the Delta Islanders stunned the Coquitlam Adanacs, 11-10 in double overtime, to win that best-of-3 series, 2-1, to capture the BJCALL title.

Not only is it the first B.C. title in Delta history, it comes against a Coquitlam squad that had won 7 straight B.C. titles. What’s more, the Adanacs have now lost 2 of their last 3 after winning 24 straight in the regular season and first round of the playoffs.

So yes, it was a bit of a whirlwind for Junior A ball last night.

In Ontario, the Northmen and Arrows traded goals through the opening period for a 2-2 tie and Brendan Bomberry’s strike at 3 seconds gave the Nation a 3-2 lead. Orangeville responded with 4 straight goals, 3 from Joel Tinney for a 6-3 lead.

In the third, consecutive goals by Bomberry cut Orangeville’s lead to 7-6, but the Hornheads scored 2 of the final 3 goals to clinch the series and eliminate the 2-time defending Minto Cup champion.

In B.C., it was a bit of a track meet as Delta opened a 5-2 lead after Riley Phillips cashed in an Evan Messenger assist at 12:20 of the second. Coquitlam rallied to tie the score and take a 6-5 lead with a pair of Tyler Pace goals leading the charge.

Pace’s fourth goal of the game gave Coquitlam a 7-5 lead at 15:48 of the third and Delta managed to keep the deficit to one goal as it traded punches down the stretch. With 1:03 left and goalie Kevin Orleman off for an extra stick, Jon Phillips scored the goal that forced OT.

John Hofseth of Coquitlam and Chase Fraser of Delta traded goals in the first OT, setting up sudden death. And at 9:21 of the second OT, it was Nick Jensen who scored the winner and started the party for Delta.

The Minto Cup gets started on Saturday, Aug. 20, at the Langley Events Centre. Orangeville (OJALL), Delta (BCJALL), Coquitlam (BCJALL) and Jr. A Mounties (RMLL) are this year's participants.